Strathmore Bristol 500 paper

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" Created in 1893, this 100% cotton bristol is an industry standard "

Taken from the official website at: www.strathmoreartist.com

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SURFACES: Medium (Vellum)              -                  Ultra-Smooth (Plate)               -               Slightly Textured (Semi-Smooth)


​MEDIA APPLICATIONS:
Plate surface: technical pen, pen & ink, marker, airbrush, mechanical pencils
Vellum surface: graphite pencil, coloured pencil, charcoal, sketching stick, pen & ink, marker, soft pastel, mixed media, oil
pastel, light wash and collage
Slightly textured surface: pen and ink, pencil, specialty pens and markers

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GSM: ​2, 3 & 4 ply

ARCHIVAL: YES

ACID FREE:  YES

LIGHTFAST: YES

 costs: RRP From:  £6.25 - £25 (Single sheet)
   RRP From:  £20.00 - £43.75 (Gummed pads)

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Plate surface

Sizes/formats Available:
Single sheets
23" x 29"   2-ply
23" x 29"   3-ply 
23" x 29"   4-ply
30" x 40"    2-ply
30" x 40"    3-ply
30" x 40"    4-ply

Pads
Available sizes:
11" x 14"   2-ply      (15 sheets)
​14" x 17"  2-ply      (15 sheets)

​Colour Tones:
White

Vellum surface

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Magnified images of each paper allowing you to see the difference between each.

Plate Surface - Smooth

Plate surface has an ultra-smooth finish that is unsurpassed for detailed work with technical pen, airbrush, mechanical pencils, pen & ink and marker.
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Bristol ultra smooth is ideal for graphite as it allows you to blend smoothly and as it is available in three weights with the thickest being 520gsm, it is ideal for artists who like to layer extensively.

Vellum surface - Textured

Vellum surface has a toothy finish that is excellent for graphite pencil, coloured pencil, charcoal, sketching stick, pen & ink, marker, soft pastel and oil pastel as well as pen, airbrush, light wash and mixed media. 
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Bristol Vellum is, in my opinion, the best choice out of the two for coloured pencil portraits. A paper with a tooth, helps grab pigment far better than a smooth paper. I also found that colours look more vibrant on this paper than the smooth option.

​Weights of paper

​A 2-ply Bristol paper refers to two sheets of drawing paper that have been pasted together. A 3-ply refers to 3 sheets pasted together, and a 4-ply refers to 4 sheets pasted together. The more plies, the thicker the board will be. ​Our 500 Series Bristol paper is made from our 100% cotton 500 Series Drawing paper which has a weight of 106lb. (125gsm). Once the drawing paper is pasted together to form bristol sheets, we can determine approximate weights by doubling, tripling or quadrupling the weight of the drawing sheet depending on how many plies are pasted. These weights are approximate because there is glue used in the pasting process that will add a small amount of weight to the overall board.

• 500 Series Bristol 2-ply ≈ 215 lb. (260 g/m2)
• 500 Series Bristol 3-ply ≈ 325 lb. (390 g/m2)
• 500 Series Bristol 4-ply ≈ 430 lb. (520 g/m2)

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Layering & Erasing with Graphite pencils - Tutorial

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​"For graphite drawing I use smooth bristol. This comes in many brands, surfaces, and sizes. It can be found in pads and single sheets. I think I’ve tried them all ... for my high quality, professional work I use what I think is the Cadillac of bristol. It’s the 500 series, 4-ply (520gsm), 100% cotton, smooth bristol by Strathmore. It’s sold in large, single sheets. It’s a little pricey due to the cotton and the thickness, but it’s worth the cost. It produces a very smooth blend, and it won’t deteriorate or yellow with time"

Lee Hammond

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Strathmore papers - How do they compare to the 500 series

The Strathmore Bristol 500 paper is just one type of paper in a series. The video below explains each series and what each paper is suitable for. As always, this is a simple guide. Would you want a 3 year old drawing on expensive paper such as the Bristol 500? You would if you wanted to frame and display it for many years to come. 

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Where can you buy the paper?

Input your postcode to search for a local store

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UK stock update: 2023
We are no longer aware of any art company that sell this paper in the UK. You can purchase pads on Amazon, but individual sheets can no longer be purchased. 

f you have a business in the UK that sells this paper, please get in touch, we would be happy to attach a link to your website on this page.